FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Deb Levine [email protected] |(510)-835-9400
March 24, 2014
MEDIA ADVISORY
YTH, a non-profit organization based in Oakland, CA, is coordinating a free health hackathon for Alameda County residents ages 11-24 to learn to code and create apps that address and solve adolescent health and wellness challenges. The YTH Health Hackathon will be held at REACH and powered by the Level Playing Field Institute (LPFI).
Hackathon winners will showcase their innovations and kick-off the YTH LIVE conference on April 6, 2014 at Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco with The Hunger Games actress Jacqueline Emerson and teen TED speakers Adora Svitak and Jack Andraka. “We are so excited to start off the conference with local youth innovation – it really embodies the ‘by youth, for youth’ tenor of the YTH Live event,” stated Jamia Wilson, YTH Executive Director.
The Hackathon will be held Saturday, April 5th from 9:30-6 and Sunday, April 6th from 8:30-3 at REACH Ashland Youth Center, 16335 E-14th Street, San Leandro, CA 94578. Alameda County youth can register for free, and adult volunteers can sign up at www.yth.org/hackathon
“The REACH members are so excited that YTH and LPFI are bringing their expertise to Ashland. The Hackathon offers members job training, networking opportunities, and a safe place to be for the weekend. It also amplifies their voices to help solve the challenges they are facing in the world and in their communities,” says Pedro Naranjo, Executive Director at REACH Ashland Youth Center.
One $2,500 grand prize and one $1,000 second prize will be awarded by judges from Ubisoft, Omidyar, Kaiser Permanente and Pinterest on Sunday afternoon.
Sponsors:
Supervisor Nate Miley, Alameda County District 4
Kaiser Permanente
Alameda County Health Care Services
Ubisoft
Kapor Center for Social Impact
Balsamiq
Appery.io
ABOUT
YTH
www.yth.org
YTH is the partner of choice for those in search of new ways to advance the health of youth and young adults through technology. YTH is committed to pursuing emerging, startling, and sometimes, simple technologies that can reach young people where they are. Through our partnerships and projects, we discover what works, pilot innovative solutions, and disseminate what’s truly effective.
REACH Ashland Youth Center
www.reachashland.org
REACH is a state of the art facility in unincorporated Ashland within Alameda County. It is open to all residents of Alameda County aged 11-24. REACH has programs for recreation, education, arts, career, and health & wellness (mental health, physical health and dental health) and in collaboration with public and non-profit agencies including Alameda County Public Health, Probation, Library, Social Services and the San Lorenzo Unified School District. Opened in May of 2013, REACH already has over 2,500 diverse registered members, including a large number of Latino and African American youth.
The Level Playing Field Institute
www.lpfi.org
The Level Playing Field Institute is committed to eliminating the barriers faced by underrepresented people of color in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and fostering their untapped talent for the advancement of our nation.
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tags: Alameda County, Ashland, coders, developers, Hackathon, Health 2.0, health apps, health hackathon, Kapor Center, Level Playing Field Institute, minority youth, mobile apps, REACH, sex ed, ubisoft, urban youth, volunteers, youth hackathon, youth health.
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